Shimon Y. Nof

Handbook of Industrial Robotics

From the Publisher: 120 leading experts from twelve countries have participated in creating this Second Edition of the Handbook of Industrial Robotics. Of its 66 chapters, 33 are new, covering important new topics in the theory, design, control, and applications of robotics. Other key features include a larger glossary of robotics terminology with over 800 terms and a CD-ROM that vividly conveys the colorful motions and intelligence of robotics. With contributions from the most prominent names in robotics worldwide, the Handbook remains the essential resource on all aspects of this complex subject.

Springer Handbook of Automation

Automation is undergoing a major transformation in scope and dimension and plays an increasingly important role in the global economy and in our daily lives. Engineers combine automated devices with mathematical and organizational tools to create complex systems for a rapidly expanding range of applications and human activities. The Springer Handbook of Automation incorporates these new developments and presents a widespread and well-structured conglomeration of new emerging application areas of automation. Besides manufacturing as a primary application of automation, the handbook contains new application areas such as medical systems and health, transportation, security and maintenance, service, construction and retail as well as production or logistics. This Springer Handbook is not only an ideal resource for automation experts but also for people new to this expanding field such as engineers, computer scientists, designers. It is edited by an internationally renowned and experienced expert. Chapters in Part A explain the significant influence of automation on our life, on individuals, organizations, and society, in economic terms and context, and impacts of precision, accuracy and reliability with automatic and automated equipment and operations. The theoretical and scientific knowledge about the human role in automation is covered in Part B from the human-oriented and human-centered aspects of automation to be applied and operated by humans, to the human role as supervisor and intelligent controller of automation systems and platforms. This part concludes with analysis and discussion on the limits of automation to the best of our current understanding. Covering automation design from theory to building automation machines, systems, and systems-of-systems , Part C explains the fundamental elements of mechatronics, sensors, robots, and other components useful for automation, and how they are combined with control and automation software, including models and techniques for automation software engineering, and the automation of the design process itself. Chapters in Part D cover the basic design requirements for the automation and illustrate examples of how the challenging issues can be solved for the deign and integration of automation with respect to its main purpose: Continuous and discrete processes and industries, design techniques, criteria and algorithms for flow lines, and integrated automation. Concluding this part is the design for safety of automation, and of automation for safety. The main aspects of automation management are covered by the chapters in Part E: Cost effectiveness and economic reasons for the design, feasibility analysis, implementation, rationalization, use, and maintenance of particular automation; performance and functionality measures and criteria. Related also are the issues of how to manage automatically and control maintenance, replacement, and upgrading. Part F, industrial automation, begins with explanation of machine tool automation, including various types of numerical control (NC), flexible, and precision machinery for production, manufacturing, and assembly, digital and virtual industrial production, to detailed design, guidelines and application of automation in the principal industries, from aerospace and automotive to semi-conductor, mining, food, paper and wood industries. Chapters are also devoted to the design, control and operation of functions common to all industrial automation. Infrastructures and service automation are covered in Part G and it is explained how automation is designed, selected, integrated, justified and applied, its challenges and emerging trends in those areas and in the construction of structures, roads and bridges; of smart buildings, smart roads and intelligent vehicles; cleaning of surfaces, tunnels and sewers; land, air, and space transportation; information, knowledge, learning, training, and library services; and in sports and entertainment. Automation in medical and healthcare systems is covered in Part H and shows the exponential penetration and main contributions of automation to the health and medical well being of individuals and societies. First, the scientific and theoretical foundations of control and automation in biological and biomedical systems and mechanisms are explained, then specific areas are described and analyzed. Available, proven, and emerging automation techniques in healthcare delivery and elimination of hospital and other medical errors are also addressed. Finally, Part I, Home, Office, and Enterprise Automation is about functional automation areas at home, in the office, and in general enterprises, including multi-enterprise networks. Chapters also cover the automation theories, techniques and practice, design, operation, challenges and emerging trends in education and learning, banking, commerce. An important dimension of the material compiled for this part is that it is useful for all other functional areas of automation. The concluding part of this Springer Handbook contains figures and tables with statistical information and summaries about automation applications and impacts in four main areas: industrial automation, service automation, healthcare automation, and financial and e-commerce automation. A rich list of associations and of periodical publications around the world that focus on automation in its variety of related fields is also included for the benefit of readers worldwide. Throughout the 94 chapters, divided into ten main parts, with 124 tables, 1005 figures, the 168 co-authors present proven knowledge, original analysis, best practices and authoritative expertise. Plenty of case studies, creative examples and unique illustrations, covering topics of automation from the basics and fundamentals to advanced techniques, cases and theories will serve the readers and benefit the students and researchers, engineers and managers, inventors, investors and developers.

Scheduling/rescheduling in the manufacturing operating system environment†

Abstract A scheduling/rescheduling procedure is proposed for real-time control of a computerized manufacturing facility managed by a central manufacturing operating system. The procedure implies schedule revisions upon significant operational changes such as machine breakdowns. Experiments to evaluate the total production time of a computerized manufacturing system with breakdowns under scheduling/rescheduling have yielded advantages of between 25% to 7-0% compared to fixed sequencing and priority despatching procedures, respectively. Computation times required for the scheduling procedures on a CDC 65OO/66OO have also been studied. The scheduling/rescheduling procedure for an actual facility required less than two minutes, and the computation time can be regulated by the selection of parameters in an approximate method of scheduling. A shorter version of this article has appeared in Japanese (Yamumoto and Nof 1982)

Operational control of item flow in versatile manufacturing systems

Analyses of operational control of item flow in versatile manufacturing systems, including control of part-type and mix-ratio, process selection, part entry, and part-to-machine allocation, show significant effects on performance. General principles of operational flow control are indicated.

On Optimizing Bin Picking and Insertion Plans for Assembly Robots

Abstract In robotic assembly stations robots pick a series of component parts from bins and then insert and assemble them. Several approaches are described and formulated for optimizing bin organization, picking, and insertion sequence and route. Solution procedures are developed for several modes of assembly tasks. The Simple Assembly Plan problem (SAP) is defined and solved. Extensions to this problem are heuristically solved by separating the SAP problem into the Bin Assignment Problem (BAP) and the Pick-Insert Sequencing (PIS) problem. We then define and formulate a new version of the assignment problem which is termed the Minimax Assignment Problem (MAP). An algorithm for the solution of this problem is developed and tested.

Collaborative control theory for e-Work, e-Production, and e-Service

Abstract Recent developments in collaborative control theory and e-Work influence the emergence of e-Production and e-Service. The influence includes impacts of e-Work on enterprises, and proliferation of applications of robotics and agents’ services. Our concern is the effective design and implementation of such e-systems. The purpose of this article is to review design principles and collaborative control theory guiding these new developments. The “four wheels” of e-Work, their 15 e-dimensions and their role in e-Production and e-Service are explained and illustrated. Network models and their bio-inspired redesign counterparts are explained with implications to the future of production and service systems.

Design of effective e-Work: review of models, tools, and emerging challenges

The foundations and scope of e-Work are described, and investigations of fundamental design principles for e-Work effectiveness reviewed. The premise is that without effective e-Work, the potential of emerging and promising electronic work activities, such as virtual manufacturing, telerobotic medicine, automated construction, intelligent transportation, and e-business, cannot be fully materialized. A typical and recent example of the inability to fulfill the potential of e-Work is the frustration of workers over supply chains/networks with complex ERP and other information systems, originally designed to simplify and improve their performance. Challenges and emerging e-Work solutions are described, and recent discoveries are clustered in four areas, e-Work; Integration, Coordination and Collaboration; Distributed Decision Support; and Active Middleware, with annotated references. PRISM Center developments of e-Work design principles, models and tools are described, including: Cooperation Requirement Planning; the principle of parallelism; the principle of conflict resolution; new measures of viability and scalability; and the Teamwork Integration Evaluator (TIE), which applies the analogy of distributed computing.

Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing Planning and Control

Abstract This paper explores some of the typical problems in manufacturing systems planning and control, particularly those pertinent to the automatic operation, and describes how artificial intelligence methods can be applied. We demonstrate how predicate logic and theorem proving techniques using resolution can be used in a manufacturing environment. Assertions of fact and axioms representing the knowledge required are given in an underlying data base. Illustrative problems demonstrate how user problems, such as assignment of jobs to machines when conflicts occur, can be handled by a decision support system in the framework of resolution in a problem reduction approach.

CONTROL AND DECISION SUPPORT IN AUTOMATIC MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS.

Abstract A new concept of Manufacturing Operating System (MOS) is presented as an approach to decision support as well as actual control of automatic manufacturing. The E-Net technique is used to model the MOS environment including reference data, operational data, and decision logic. Scheduling problems in a DNC line are illustrated.

From plant and logistics control to multi-enterprise collaboration

Current and emerging manufacturing and logistics systems are posing new challenges and opportunities for the automation and control community. This milestone report describes the main problems, such as management of complexity, scalability, increasing costs, coordination, market-based resource allocation, and more. Recent accomplishments and trends are discussed: Control and automation techniques, manufacturing plant automation, collaborative control through integration and networking, and control methods applied to extended enterprises and large-scale critical infrastructure. Finally, forecasts are presented for the next generation manufacturing system; e-work; integration, coordination and collaboration; networked, distributed decision support (NDSS); and active middleware.